You know there are things in life that are terribly funny.
I'm talking knee slapping, doubled over, can't catch your breath funny.
And then there is the ironic kind of funny, which may or may not become the knee slapping kind of funny in say, 30 or 40 years.

I'll let you, as GSD owners,decide which this is...

I just bought a 2014 Dodge Quad Cab pick up truck with the Hemi motor. Absolutely nothing NOT to like except, of course, for the 5 years of payments.

My dog, ironically, HATES it.

Yes, this is the GSD you've read about on here that simply loves to go anywhere in my Jeep.

Apparently, that love of riding does not extend to any other vehicles.

Wish I had known that *before* the big purchase.

I needed something with less than the 206,000 the Jeep currently has with all of the traveling I do for work.

My husband wanted to see me get something brand new and it has been 31 years since I've owned a brand new vehicle. I had really planned to enjoy the heck out of it.

I still have the Jeep, so Hans & I can still get our Jeep "fix" on the weekends.

A typical trip in the spectacular new truck now includes Hans getting excited as we approach it, jumping in and seemingly settling in just fine. Once we get on the road he starts panting lightly, which turns into very heavy panting, along with violent trembling. He is extremely restless and whiney. The first time it happened I was scared to death that he was bloating. It typically takes an hour to an hour and a half of this horrible reaction before he calms down as we are going to or from work. It is an approximately 2 hour and 45 minute ride to where I work and we stay the week and come home on the weekend.

It doesn't matter if I try to console him, give him the quiet command or simply ignore him. It hasn't gotten any better even though we've made many trips.

Today is Saturday and as a test, we took the Jeep on several errands.

No Problem. Happy and calm as can be.

Anyone who has ever driven or ridden in a Wrangler knows how rough riding & noisy they are. This truck is quiet (unless you're by the tailpipes ) and much smoother riding.

The trip coming home this weekend, I gave him some Rescue Remedy, which is a natural calming aid that I have used successfully in the past. Did not make a bit of difference.

Not knee slapping funny!
Maybe in 30 or 40 years...

All ideas and opinions are welcome as I don't think trading the truck in is an option and I think these extreme nervous meltdowns my dog is having cannot be good for him.

LOL...I feel like this is the first time I gave a decent response/suggestion

I've traveled twice from California to Chicago (2 way trip) with the 2 in the back. And although we could trust Zeeva in the back of the truck we decided not to take a chance and crated her. It was a good thing too because for some reason during altitude changes and especially through the Rockies she flipped out. I thought hard about it and came to the conclusion that her ears were probably 'popping' or hurting and that freaked her out but I still am not sure...

The new car smell is actually chemicals in the materials used. Maybe Hans is having a reaction to the chemicals?

That is very possible! I just wonder what I could do about it?? I know the "new car smell" eventually wears off, but I think this poor dog may have a heart attack before then.

Hans is really not afraid of much of anything. Loud noises do not bother him. He just sniffed the end of a loud cordless drill my husband was using the other day. Did not bother him a bit-no pun intended! I even stepped back from it. So...it makes sense to me that if he isn't scared of the new truck, then maybe he is extra sensitive to the chemicals.

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